Bibliophile Babes Book Club discussion
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Me Before You
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Apr 30, 2016 06:42PM
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In the novel’s title, to whom do you think the “me” and “you” refer?
DISCUSSION Q #2
What is your opinion of Mr. Traynor? Did it change after you read his side of the story?
DISCUSSION Q #3
Why do you think Louisa was able to reach Will when so many others could not?
DISCUSSION Q #4
If you were Louisa, would you have quit working for the Traynors? If yes, at what point?
DISCUSSION Q #5
Do you think Patrick would have asked Louisa to move in with him if he hadn’t felt threatened by Will? If Louisa had never accepted her job with the Traynors, where would her relationship with Patrick have gone?
DISCUSSION Q #6
What would you rate this book out of 5?
DISCUSSION Q #7
For those of us who enjoyed this book, do you have any recommendations of similar books you’ve read that we might also enjoy?
Hi everyone, my name is Sarah and I've just joined the book club this month. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what others thought. In response to your questions Kate,1. I think the "me" before "you" refers to both Lou and Will as they reflect on their lives before meeting each other.
2. I can see that the author wanted to make us like Mr. Traynor in the more relaxed attitude he took to Will getting back out into the world. Regardless, even though their marriage was over, I think he could've waited, or at least not been so open, about his other relationship, if they had indeed decided to stay together for Will's sake. He really seemed quite detached from the whole situation.
3. I think Louisa was able to reach Will because of her personality. She couldn't help herself when it came to saying what she thought, she was persistent and she didn't tip toe around him because of his disability. She also came across as quite a genuine and "what you see is what you get" type character which I think he found endearing.
4. I didn't put myself into Lou's shoes because of the complexity of the situation. I can see why Lou continued to work for them, but I don't think I could have, mainly because of the legal cloud over it all, as well as the job expectations not being clear from the beginning. The whole situation Lou found herself in was quite bizarre when you think about it like that.
5. I don't think Patrick would have gone out of his way to ask Lou to move in with him. I feel as though Lou would have continued on in the relationship and they would have just gone through the motions of all those big relationship steps to follow the status quo. Lou never made any decisions for herself throughout the whole book, she had them made for her because of her obligation to her family or through encouragement from Will. She had no intention of breaking it off with Patrick at any stage even though she was not interested in anything he was doing and I feel like she would probably go through life in that way, allowing things to be decided for her rather than actively making a decision about what she wants.
6. I would give the book a 4 - it was a very engaging read and I was in tears at the end of it. The book had a very "made for movie" feel to it, in that the narrative structure felt like it was set up to be adapted straight to film - that was the part I felt least interesting and fairly predictable. But the issues tackled and feelings/emotions involved were complex and portrayed fairly realistically I think, not that I have any experience in the area.
Looking forward to the next book!
Mod
1. I thi..."
Hi Sarah, happy to have you here :)
I think you're right on #1; I spent most of the book trying to decide who was who, but it does seem to fit them both.
Re #5, Lou's relationship with Patrick bothered me the whole time. Not to place blame, but it seemed obvious he was no longer the person she fell in love with. I don't think Lou was going to make any decision about either ending it or taking it to the next level. I agree that she would have just gone on through life having others decide for her, or only making reactive decisions, rather than proactive.
I also gave the book a 4. I convinced my friend to read it too so we can go have a cry in the cinema later this year :P
Kate wrote: "DISCUSSION Q #1In the novel’s title, to whom do you think the “me” and “you” refer?
DISCUSSION Q #2
What is your opinion of Mr. Traynor? Did it change after you read his side of the story?
DISCU..."
I enjoyed the book this month much more than I thought I would. This isn't really the kind of thing I'd pick up normally, but that's what I love about book clubs.
In response to the discussion questions....
1: I have to agree with Sarah here, I think the title refers to both Lou and Will. The novel really is a journey in which they both reevaluate their lives, and how they change, although will different outcomes.
2: I did feel some empathy for Mr Traynor. I think Moyes encouraged us to feel that, by presenting his attitude to Will's recovery and activities as more relaxed than Mrs Traynor's. Although I didn't feel comfortable with his straying from their marriage, I did feel like it was an accurate representation of how a family, and an individual can be influenced by a tragedy like Will's accident, even if the individual is not the direct victim. It was an event which clearly changed all of the members of the family, and some of those changes weren't positive. But they were realistic.
3: I think in some ways, Louisa was able to reach Will because she didn't take herself too seriously. I think she also was able to connect to Will, because she didn't walk on eggshells around him. She wasn't trying to hard to avoid talking about his paralysis, or trying to hard to be overly positive. I think the most important reason was that she didn't let him treat her badly. I think he was able to respect her because she called him out on his negative attitude and rudeness.
4: I think, like Lou, I would have felt pretty betrayed by not having been told about the real circumstances that Will and his family were facing. I don't know if I would have quit, because I think I would struggle to remove myself from someone I cared about so much, especially if I knew they didn't have much time left. However, legally, taking part in this could have had serious ramifications for Louisa. I guess it's quite a complicated situation and it is hard to know how one would react.
5: I don't think Patrick would have asked Lou to move in with him if he hadn't felt threatened by Will. He wasn't motivated by wanting to be with Louisa. I think, had Louisa not accepted that job, it is quite likely that their relationship could have continued in a similar fashion for quite some time. Louisa didn't have a naturally reflective personality, and she was adverse to change. I think unless pushed, like she was by Will, nothing would have changed very much.
6: Overall I gave the book 4/5 stars. I found it a really engrossing read. While it was a little more fluffy than my usual choices, it did present some interesting moral and ethical dilemmas. I also thought the central characters at least were quite well developed, and experienced realistic change throughout the novel.
This was a great, thought-provoking choice. Looking forward to next month's read (fingers crossed for Hope Farm!) :)
1)I think "me" would be referring to Mr. Traynor's family and Louisa as they are the ones who need to let go of Will, the "you" in the title refers to Will. Despite Mr. Traynor's discomfort and desire to die, they all wanted to hold onto him despite all the pain that he was going through. Because, to let him go would leave an empty void and pain for the family and Louisa. And very soon by the end of the story, the "me" refers to Will and "you" refers to Louisa and family, as they find the strength to finally let him go. His desire before theirs. 3)Maybe because she did not treat him like he was fragile and needed mollycoddling. She was honest and was being her own genuine self around him. Unlike all the other people who get awkward when they meet him.
6) I would rate this book 5, since it stayed with me even after I finished reading it. The whole idea of fulfilling a loved ones desire even if it hurts you, is a very tough decision to make. Love can be a selfish emotion. Makes me wonder what I would do if I was in the same situation as Louisa and Family.
7) The only book that I can think of is Kristin Hannah's "The Nightingale".
Mod
First up, I love the word mollycoddle! hehe. Secondly, I completely agree. I'm actually still a few chapters away from finishing the book, but I'm finding myself thinking about it when I'm not reading it and overall just enjoying the read so much! I've also read The Nightingale and felt the same way.
So glad you enjoyed the read this month, Nivedita!
Mod
In the novel’s title, to whom do you think the “me” and “you” refer?
DISCUSSION Q #2
What is your opinion of Mr. Traynor? Did it change after you read his side of the ..."
Hey Claire, I completely agree! Patrick was soooo frustrating. He didn't really make enough effort with Louisa and their relationship.
I've also really enjoyed reading the book and have enjoyed something a little more 'fluffy' for a change hehe! I'm so glad you're enjoying the book club. I'm about to head over to the poll page to see the winner - stay tuned!
Mod
1. I thi..."
Hi Sarah, so happy to have you on board with us! Thank you for joining our little book club :D I completely agree with your analysis of Lou's character, wasn't she just so darn lovable?
Agreed with your book/movie comparison. Do you think you'll go and see the film version? I liked how they were able to give the book some depth and complexity while remaining lighthearted at the same time - not an easy feat!
Kate wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Hi everyone, my name is Sarah and I've just joined the book club this month. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what others thought. In response to your questions K..."I totally agree about the movie feel too. I'm sure I'll probably end up watching it. But I do find book to film adaptions a bit frustrating usually.
Mod
Yeah, as do all booklovers I think! Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?
Kate wrote: "Nivedita wrote: "1)I think "me" would be referring to Mr. Traynor's family and Louisa as they are the ones who need to let go of Will, the "you" in the title refers to Will. Despite Mr. Traynor's d..."Yes I did.. cant wait for the next one :)
